328 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S., XVI, 
inscriptions and calls for no special remarks. In respect of 
orthography. the only point to be noted is the vege se of 
other nasals by the anusvara, in Hemamia, |. 3, also in 
The inscription refers itself to reign of the rajan, araka, 
Gautamiputra Sri-Yajiia Satakarni of the Satavshans 
dynasty and is dated (in words as well as figures) in his 27th 
regnal year, the 4th fortnight of the winter and the 5th day. 
.The object of the epigraph was apparently to record some meri- 
The record, as it is now read, supplies the earliest epigra- 
phic testimony of the Breer onee of the Vasudeva cult in the 
Madras Presidency. No doubt can be entertained that by the 
2nd century of the Ghustar. era the cult had spread as far 
south as the Kistna District. 
TEXT. 
Sidham [i*] eine | Bhagavato Va[sude]va[sa]! [\*] 
Rafio Go 
i 
bo 
3 
es 
i 
2 
araka Siriyatia Saitakanisa vasasataya 
samvachara-sata 
see ¢ 7 7 07 Hemamténan' pakham catutham 4 di.. 
etl 
ike gts mahatarakena ee ce cern 
yajina mahidam 7............+.. 
hays 
NS) 
o> Ot 
see eee ee see eee 
’ 
REMARKS. 
'This word was left unread by Biihler. But the above 
reading is certain. The triangular shape of the first letter 
indicates that it can only be av; the third letter is apparently 
de, and those that follow, as Biahier also has stated, are to be 
read as vasa. Under these circumstances, vasudevasa would, 
in my ce be the only reading possible, 2 Biihler reads 
samvachara sata(vi) mam 207. Apparently, he would restore 
it as savinvachara sata[vi|[sa*|mam 20 7. But the letter before 
Bahler di{vasam pasceniant Bahler reads etiya, but the 
superscript 7 seems to be clear. ° SPEstaiy maha [senapatina*] 
as to be restored. How many letters are lost after mah@ is 
not certain. 7 Probably mahadam[danayakena*| has to be 
